What do you think about people wich release your hacks already for vb3?

[Floris]

On vBulletin.nl we allow users to release their work, IF they are the owner of the code. It has to be written from scratch. And not some remodded work or renamed functions. Unfortn. we can't check each release but when we find out someone has done this, we will take action against that release. We do not allow users to release their ports from 2.x to 3.x if they are not the author. They can, IF they have written permission from the author of the original hack. If a user finds that a hack from 2.x isn't available for 3.x and writes it from scratch him/herself and releases it, it becomes their copyright. It is just competition for the person who published his/her version for 2.x first. There are several RPG hacks on vbulletin.org and there are several portals and frontpages and cms's and there are also going to be several versions for other hacks too.

If anybody finds their work posted on vbulletin.nl please contact me on info@vbulletin.nl with details and proof that you are the author of the original work and our staff will look into it.

[Floris]

Originally Posted by Lesane

Alot of people over at vbulletin.nl wouldn't release their 're-releasers' hacks if they were at vbulletin.org.

Look at this post from mark:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=109
and this thread:
http://www.vbulletin.nl/community/showthread.php?t=787

I don't know if that user asked mark for permission, if it is then ok.

Faranth, what happens if vb3 hacking is allowed here? Do we get to see 2 'top poster on forumhome' hacks on vbulletin.org? One from mine (the original) and one from assassingod. I think that we get much more '2 releases of the same hack' here at vbulletin.org once vb3 hacking is allowed.

Don't get me wrong, i don't blame assassingod or any other hacker outside of vbulletin.org. It's the system, no vb3 hacking allowed here on vbulletin.org then there should be no vb3 hacking allowed elsewhere. This is the official place to hack vbulletin and not vbulletin.nl or any other site that allows vb3 hacking!

I believe Dan worked on that hack by himself because he wanted it on his site and couldn't find the source code for version 3. Did he use code from version 2 or 3 or is just the idea of the hack the same?

[Lesane]

It's not about the code because simply all the code is changed because of the incompatibility, so yes someone has started from scratch because they had to. You can't compare any code from vb3 with vb2 because of the big change in the structure as you all already know. So it's the 're-release of a hack somewhere else then vbulletin.org and where the author has changed'!

We all know that mystics released the 'Who was online today on forumhome' and now some 'animewebby' have released it again, for vb3 then.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...ighlight=today
http://www.vbulletin.nl/community/showthread.php?t=1475

It's just not 'fair' towards the original hacker here on vbulletin.org!

What would you do if someone else release a vb3 version of 'vb Statements System' on your site and let's say you already have planned a vb3 version of it?

[Lesane]

It seems that the original hackers here are forced to release their vb3 versions of their hacks on other places quickly before any other person re-release it!

[Floris]

Sometimes it is quite obvious how one version of a certain type of hack is written and how another version of a certain type of hack is written. The same goes for software.
ipb comes out with new features that are only seen in vb3 - its not in the vb code, but rewritten ipb code. Because they like the new feature and members want it, and they can't use vb's, they are forced to write their version of that type of feature. It can give jelsoft a bad feeling, but it is just healthy competition. The same goes for my vb statement hack - if someone rewrites it because I haven't done that already, or even if I have, but does it in his/her own way and does not use my setup for file changes, custom functions or variables and other destinctive things, then it is just another version for such a type of hack. It is competition. Unless I find a way to patent it or trademark the name. Things change when its just changed here and there and maybe a small option added, and re-released as if that person was the original author.

[Lesane]

Originally Posted by Mist

This has been discussed by the staff at vB.org. We came to the conclusion that if people go round re-releasing others code just ported to vB3 then it won't be allowed. We'd like to give the original authors first preference on re-releasing their code but we can't patent ideas when the code has been re-written

Ofcourse, the code has been rewritten for all of the vb3 hacks. Obviously don't you think?

So it isn't allowed here, what's the benefit for us when it is allowed on other sites?

[Floris]

There is a clear difference between writing code from scratch (with features and options and how it is used and set up) against converting code from vb2 to vb3.

[Lesane]

Originally Posted by floris

Sometimes it is quite obvious how one version of a certain type of hack is written and how another version of a certain type of hack is written. The same goes for software.
ipb comes out with new features that are only seen in vb3 - its not in the vb code, but rewritten ipb code. Because they like the new feature and members want it, and they can't use vb's, they are forced to write their version of that type of feature. It can give jelsoft a bad feeling, but it is just healthy competition. The same goes for my vb statement hack - if someone rewrites it because I haven't done that already, or even if I have, but does it in his/her own way and does not use my setup for file changes, custom functions or variables and other destinctive things, then it is just another version for such a type of hack. It is competition. Unless I find a way to patent it or trademark the name. Things change when its just changed here and there and maybe a small option added, and re-released as if that person was the original author.

I understand, but there is no competition in alot of hacks. What's the competition in my 'show top poster on forumhome' hack?

Originally Posted by floris

There is a clear difference between writing code from scratch (with features and options and how it is used and set up) against converting code from vb2 to vb3.

Indeed, that store hack wich is released on your forum is just great. Other code, other layout.. .just a whole different store. That's from scratch, but there are alot of other hacks wich are just ported over by someone else.

[RDX1]

Originally Posted by filburt1

If it is copied code with only minor changes to suit the new needs of the user, then it is still illegal.

But he never said they copied his code, he said that they used his idea, two completely different things.

[Serge]

Microsoft does this kind of stuff everyday. Microsoft didn't make the frist windowed operation system and they didn't do a lot of other things frist either. They took the ideas that worked from other people and then redid them themselves and call it there own.

It kind of sucks for hack writers since they did it for free and it was kind of small thing to begin with but it is life or at least sociaity makes it that way.